Garbage Separator

ABSTRACT

A garbage separator system (500) is provided, the system configured to separate water from waste, garbage, and food particles as they flow down a sink drain. In some embodiments, the system includes a screw drive (508) configured to be mounted beneath the drain of a sink and to rotate to convey waste particles laterally away from the underside of the drain of the sink (e.g., toward a bin for collecting waste particles (518)) while allowing water to drain through a plurality of drainage holes in a tube encasing the screw drive.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/588,901, filed Nov. 20, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/624,725, filed Jan. 31, 2018, the entire contents of each of whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This relates to waste disposal systems and, particularly, to systems forseparating waste particles from water in a drain of a sink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Small pieces of food waste such as vegetable and fruit cuttings, cereal,dish scrapings, and other food waste are regularly poured into kitchensinks. In some sink systems, a simple strainer is provided to block foodfrom flowing down the drain of the sink. Water passes through thestrainer and down the drain while food waste particles accumulate atopthe strainer. In some sink systems, a garbage disposal system isprovided to chop and grind the food waste into small enough pieces tosafely pass them into the sewer/septic system along with the drainagewater that is run through the drain of the sink.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above, the most common systems for processing food wastepoured into sinks are strainers covering the drain of the sink andgarbage disposal systems integrated into the drain of the sink. However,these solutions have various drawbacks.

For strainer systems, a user must frequently reach into the drain of thesink to remove the strainer and dispose of the small amount of foodwaste particles that may accumulate atop the strainer before the drainbecomes effectively blocked by the accumulated waste atop the strainer.While cleaning the strainer, the user must stop the flow of water inorder to prevent food particles from being washed into the drain, andthe user must furthermore clear the sink in order to be able to manuallyreach the drain. This process may be inconvenient and unhygienic.

For garbage disposal systems, damage to sewer and septic systems may becaused over time due to the flow of non-liquid particles down the drainof the sink. Furthermore, the garbage disposal system may require anelectric power supply, may consume large amounts of power, may emit loudnoise, and may pose a safety hazard especially to children.

Accordingly, improved systems, methods, and techniques are needed forprocessing food waste that is poured into sinks. Particularly, there isa need for systems, methods, and techniques for processing food pouredinto sinks that allow food waste particles to be separated from the flowof running water such that the food particles do not flow into anddamage the sewer or septic system; there is a further need for suchsystems that do not require frequent manual intervention, do not consumelarge amounts of power, do not emit loud noises, and are safe to touch.

Garbage separator systems that address one or more of the above needsare provided herein. As described in detail herein, a garbage separatorsystem may be integrated into the drain of a sink, such that particlesof food waste may be automatically separated from the flow of drainagewater and deposited into a waste bin, while the water is allowed tocontinue to flow down the drain.

Some garbage separator systems as discussed herein may make use of arotating separator cup having a plurality of drainage holes allowingwater to pass through and having helical blades that may lift and pushfood particles upward and outward and into the waste bin. The waste binmay be periodically manually emptied by a user, though the need to do somay be significantly less frequent than the need to empty a conventionalstrainer system. The separator cup may be caused to rotate by a waterturbine system that uses water flowing from the line of water running tothe sink to drive the separator cup and cause it to rotate. A separateline in fluid connection with the line of water running to the sink maybe established and connected in fluid connection with a chambercontaining the water turbine. One or more valves may control the flow ofwater through the water turbine line and may thereby be used to turn thegarbage separator system on and off. Cleaning fluid may be injected intothe line running to the water turbine chamber, or may otherwise be mixedwith a running supply of water and injected directly into and/or ontothe garbage separator, thereby reducing the need to manually clean thegarbage separator.

Some garbage separator systems as discussed herein may make use of ascrew conveyor (also called an auger conveyor) to convey food and wasteparticles through a tube encasing a rotating helical screw blade, towarda waste bin, while allowing water to drain through a plurality ofdrainage holes disposed in a tube. The waste bin may be periodicallymanually emptied by a user, though the need to do so may besignificantly less frequent than the need to empty a conventionalstrainer system. The screw conveyor may be caused to rotate by anelectric motor, and may be turned on or off by a user of a sink underwhich the garbage separator system is mounted. As a safety measure, thegarbage separator system may be configured to only be able to be turnedon when a cover is over the drain of the sink. In some embodiments,inserting and/or rotating a cover in the drain of the sink may cause thegarbage separator system to turn on.

Systems, methods, and techniques described herein may be advantageousbecause, among other advantages, they may separate food waste fromdrainage water efficiently and automatically, may require less manualintervention than a conventional strainer, and may be lesspower-intensive, noisy, and dangerous than garbage disposal systems.

In some embodiments, a first garbage separator system for separatingwaste particles from water in the drain of a sink is provided, thesystem comprising: a separator cup configured to be mounted beneath thedrain of a sink; a water turbine fluidly connected to a water supply ofthe sink, the water turbine configured to cause the separator cup torotate to eject waste particles from the separator cup; and a waste binconfigured to receive waste particles ejected by the separator cup.

In some embodiments of the first system, the separator cup comprises atleast one helical protrusion extending from an inner wall of theseparator cup.

In some embodiments of the first system, the helical protrusioncomprises a plurality of ribs on an upper surface of the helicalprotrusion.

In some embodiments of the first system, the separator cup comprises aconvex floor configured to cause waste particles to fall toward an innerwall of the separator cup.

In some embodiments of the first system, the separator cup is configuredto rotate about an axis aligned with the drain of the sink.

In some embodiments of the first system, the separator cup comprises aplurality of drainage holes configured to allow water to drain throughthe separator cup and to prevent waste particles from falling throughthe separator cup.

In some embodiments of the first system, the separator cup is configuredto be nested inside a cup basin such that water that drains through thedrainage holes in the separator cup falls onto a wall of the cup basin.

In some embodiments of the first system, the cup basin is configured tobe coupled to a drainage pipe such that the water that falls into a wallof the cup basin drains into the drainage pipe.

In some embodiments of the first system, the system further comprises avalve configured to control flow of water to the turbine.

In some embodiments of the first system, the water turbine comprises aturbine chamber containing a plurality of turbine blades, wherein theturbine blades drive the separator cup to rotate.

In some embodiments of the first system, the turbine blades are formedas part of the separator cup, and wherein the separator cup defines awall of the turbine chamber.

In some embodiments of the first system, the chamber is separate fromthe separator cup, and wherein the turbine blades drive a spindle thatdrives the separator cup.

In some embodiments of the first system, the chamber is fluidlyconnected to a water inlet that is configured to be fluidly connected tothe water supply of the sink.

In some embodiments of the first system, one or more drainage holes inthe separator cup is configured to allow water to pass between thechamber and the separator cup.

In some embodiments of the first system, the system further comprises ahousing comprising an upper shroud and a lower shroud.

In some embodiments of the first system, the upper shroud defines anopening above the separator cup configured to be mounted below the drainof the sink.

In some embodiments of the first system, the lower shroud defines anopening in the side of the housing configured to allow the waste bin toslide into and out of the housing of the system.

In some embodiments of the first system, the lower shroud comprises asloped side wall configured to direct falling waste particles toward thewaste bin.

In some embodiments of the first system, the lower shroud is configuredto slide horizontally away from the upper shroud to be removed from thesystem.

In some embodiments of the first system, the lower shroud comprises aslot allowing it to slide around the cup separator as it is slidhorizontally away from the system.

In some embodiments of the first system, the system further comprises acleaning agent supply configured to cause cleaning agent to flow intothe system.

In some embodiments of the first system, the cleaning agent supply isfluidly connected to the water turbine and configured to cause cleaningagent to flow into the water turbine.

In some embodiments of the first system, the cleaning agent supply isfluidly connected to the interior of a cup basin and is configured tocause cleaning agent to flow into the cup basin.

In some embodiments, a second garbage separator system for separatingwaste particles from water in the drain of a sink is provided, thesystem comprising: a screw conveyor configured to be mounted beneath thedrain of a sink, the screw conveyor comprising: a screw drive configuredto rotate to convey waste particles laterally away from the drain of thesink; a tube encasing the screw drive, wherein the tube comprises aplurality of drainage holes configured to allow water to drain out ofthe screw conveyor and to retain waste particles inside the screwconveyor; and a removable waste bin configured to receive wasteparticles conveyed by the screw conveyor.

In some embodiments of the second system, the screw drive of the screwconveyor is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thatintersects a central axis of the drain of the sink.

In some embodiments of the second system, the axis of rotation isperpendicular to the axis of the drain of the sink.

In some embodiments of the second system, the axis of rotation forms anacute upward angle with the axis of the drain of the sink.

In some embodiments of the second system, the screw conveyor comprises aproximal portion beneath the sink drain and a distal portion above theremovable waste bin.

In some embodiments of the second system, the tube comprises a wasteopening at the distal portion of the screw conveyor above the removablewaste bin.

In some embodiments of the second system: the screw conveyor comprises amiddle portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion; andsome or all of the plurality of drainage holes in the tube are locatedat the middle portion.

In some embodiments of the second system, the system further comprises areturn manifold configured to catch water draining from some or all ofthe plurality of drainage holes.

In some embodiments of the second system, the return manifold isconfigured to be coupled to a drainage pipe such that the water caughtby the return manifold drains into the drainage pipe.

In some embodiments of the second system, the system further comprises ahousing defining an opening above the screw conveyor configured to bemounted below the drain of the sink.

In some embodiments of the second system, the housing defines an openingconfigured to allow the removable waste bin to slide into and out of thehousing.

In some embodiments of the second system, the housing is configured todirect falling waste particles toward the waste bin.

In some embodiments of the second system, the tube comprises a removableend portion configured to be removed to allow removal of the screw drivefrom the screw conveyor.

In some embodiments of the second system, the garbage separator isconfigured to be installed in an enclosure beneath a sink.

In some embodiments of the second system, the garbage separator isconfigured such that, when installed, the removable waste bin faces in adirection toward an area in front of the sink, and is removable bysliding in the direction toward the area in front of the sink.

In some embodiments of the second system, the second system furthercomprises a movable seal configured to move between an open position inwhich waste particles may pass through an opening between the tube andthe waste bin and a closed position in which the opening is sealed.

In some embodiments, any one or more features of the first or secondsystems recited above may be combined with one another and/or with anyother features disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3A shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3B shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3C shows a cross-sectional view of garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3D shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3E shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3F shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3G shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3H shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3I shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3J shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3K shows a detail view of a garbage separator system in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 4A shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4B shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4C shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4D shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4E shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4F shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments

FIG. 5 shows a garbage separator system, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 6 shows a garbage separator system, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 7 shows a cutaway view of garbage separator system, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a garbage separator system, in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As explained above, there is a need for improved systems, methods, andtechniques for processing food waste that is poured into sinks.Accordingly, provided herein are garbage separator systems that mayaddress that need.

A garbage separator system may be integrated into the drain of a sink toautomatically separate food waste from the flow of drainage water. Arotating separator cup driven by a water turbine powered by water takenfrom the plumbing system of the integrated sink may use a plurality ofhelical blades to lift and push food particles upward and outward andinto a waste bin, while drainage holes in the separator cup may allowdrainage water to pass through the cup and into the plumbing drainagesystem. Alternately or additionally, a screw conveyor comprising arotating helical blade may push food particles sideways and/or upwardtoward and into a waste bin, while drainage holes in the bottom and/orsides of a tube encasing the helical blade may allow drainage water topass through the tube and into the plumbing drainage system. The wastebin may then be periodically manually emptied by a user. Examples orvarious embodiments of garbage separator systems are discussed below.

FIG. 1 shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, garbage separator system 100 mayinclude upper shroud 106 and lower shroud 108 that may together form ahousing for the main body of the garbage separator system. Upper shroud106 may define or may be attached to an intake opening 102 formed on atop surface of the garbage separator system 100 that is configured toopen to the drain of a sink when the system is installed below the drainof a sink. As shown, opening 102 may have one or more bars, guards, orobstructions covering the opening; these guards may be configured toprevent particles above a certain size from passing through the opening.For example, particles larger than one or more openings or passagewaysdefined by the internal components of system 100 may be prevented frompassing through opening 102. Lower shroud 108 may define or may beattached to an water outlet opening 104 that connects to a pipe throughwhich drainage water may flow to a septic or sewer system. In someembodiments, a check-valve downstream of opening 104 may be included inorder to prevent water from backing up into the system due to a clog. Inthe example of FIG. 1A, the drainage pipe connected to the bottom ofgarbage separator system 100 includes a trap formed by the bend in thepipe.

When system 100 is installed between a drain of a sink and the pipeleading to the septic or sewer system, the system may be configured toseparate drainage water from food waste and other waste particles bydirecting food particles and other waste particles into removable wastebin 110, which may be any bucket, bin, basin, or receptacle that may heconfigured to collect waste particles and to be removed from the system,emptied, washed, and replaced. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, removablewaste bin 110 may be slid away from lower shroud 108 to be temporarilyremoved from system 100. Unlike waste food particles directed toremovable waste bin 110, drainage water may be allowed to pass throughsystem 100 and out of the drainage pipe and into the septic or sewersystem. Manners in which this separation may be achieved are discussedin further detail below with reference to the other figures andexemplary embodiments of this application.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a garbage separator system inaccordance with some embodiments. Garbage separator system 200 has uppershroud 206 and lower shroud 208, which may share any or allcharacteristics with the respective shrouds 106 and 108 described abovewith reference to FIG. 1. Upper shroud 206 forms intake opening 202,which is an opening in the top of system 200 and is configured to bealigned underneath the drain of a sink to receive drainage water andwaste particles to be processed and separated by the system. As shown inthe example of FIG. 2, intake opening 202 is aligned with sink drain 212such that water and/or waste food particles may be washed down sinkdrain 212 and fall into intake opening 202 for processing by system 200.

After water and/or waste food particles enter system 200 through intakeopening 202, the water and/or particles may fall into a separator cupdisposed below the opening. The separator cup may be any cup-shaped orbowl-shaped or generally concave-shaped receptacle configured to sitbelow an intake opening of a garbage separator system and to operate toseparate water and waste particles. Namely, a separator cup may beconfigured to separate water from waste particles by allowing water topass through one or more drainage holes or water openings in theseparator cup; these holes may be configured to be large and numerousenough (e.g., they may account for a sufficiently large percentage ofthe surface area of the separator cup) to allow all water directed intothe separator cup to pass through the separator and into the septic orsewer system.

Food and waste particles too large to pass through the drainage holes inthe separator cup, however, may be caught by the cup as the water passesthrough, and may be lifted and moved upwards and outwards by helicalblades disposed on the inner/upper surface of the separator cup. Thatis, the separator cup may be configured to rotate about an axis whichmay be aligned or substantially aligned with (or may be parallel orsubstantially parallel to and offset from the center a central axis ofthe drain of the sink under which the separator system is installed. Theseparator cup may be driven by an electric motor, a water turbine, orany other means that may cause it to rotate about its axis. As theseparator cup rotates, the helical blades of the separator cup maypush/lift food and waste particles up the inside walls of the separatorcup, ultimately lifting the food and waste particles upward and outwardover the top edge of the separator cup, where they may fall downwardinto a removable waste bin or other receptacle for food and wasteparticles.

In the example of FIG. 2, separator cup 214 is disposed below intakeopening 202 and is configured to rotate along an axis aligned with thecenter of intake opening 202. Drainage holes 218 allow water to passthrough separator cup 214 and continue to flow downward under the forceof gravity. Separator cup 214 is nested inside cup basin 220, which maybe any funnel-shaped receptacle, basin, cup, and/or piping segmentconfigured to hold separator cup 214 and to direct the flow of drainagewater that passes through separator cup 214 toward the opening at thebottom of system 200 that leads the drainage water to the plumbingsystem. For example, cup basin 220 may be a funnel-shaped portion thatmates with the top of a pipe and opens upward, and that further mateswith separator cup 214 such that separator cup 214 may sit inside thefunnel portion of cup basin 220 and may rotate about its axis whileinside cup basin 220. Cup basin 220 may thus catch water that passesthrough the sides of separator cup 214 and direct the water downward andtoward a drainage pipe, while cup basin 220 may further serve toseparate the water flow path inside system 200 from the rest of thespace inside the housing of system 200 (e.g., inside upper shroud 206and lower shroud 208). A chamber for the passage of waste/food particlesejected by separator cup 214 may be formed by the interior walls ofupper shroud 206 and lower shroud 208 and by the exterior walls of cupbasin 220 and any piping attached thereto, such that food/wasteparticles ejected by separator cup 214 may fall downward through thechamber and into a removable waste bin without being able to re-enterthe flow path of the drainage water and therefore without being able tofall or flow into the septic or sewer system. As shown in FIG. 2, thespace between separator cup 214 and cup basin 220 may be small enoughsuch that food particles and/or water may not effectively fall or passthrough any such opening.

FIGS. 3A-3K show various views of garbage separator system 300, whichmay share some or all characteristics in common with other garbageseparator systems discussed herein, including garbage separator systems100 and/or 200 and their corresponding components as discussed abovewith reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3A shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments. Garbage separator system 300 may include an upper shroudand a lower shroud, which are shown in FIG. 3A as a continuous housingbody. System 300 may include removable waste bin 310, which is shown inan inserted position 310 a and a removed position 310 b. System 300 mayinclude separator cup 314 nested in cup basin 320. As shown in theillustration of FIG. 3A, system 300 may be configured to allow water topass through separator cup 314 and cup basin 320 and into a drainagepipe and out of system 300, while food/waste particles (as shown by thecircles in the illustration), may be ejected from separator cup 314 andcaused to fall down inside the housing of system 300 and into removablewaste bin 310 for later disposal, such as periodic manual disposal by auser.

As shown in FIG. 3A, system 300 may include water turbine water inlet322, which may be an inlet for water that is in fluid connection with awater turbine chamber of a water turbine that drives rotation ofseparator cup 314. Inlet 322 may further be in fluid connection withwater turbine water line 324, which may pass water from a main waterline of the plumbing system associated with the sink toward and intoinlet 322. The flow of water through water line 324 and into water inlet322 may in some embodiments be controlled by a valve such as waterturbine control valve 326, which may be any manually or electricallycontrollable valve that may allow or disallow the full and/or partialflow of water to a water turbine of system 300. By opening and/orclosing valve 326, a user may therefore control whether water flows tothe water turbine of the system and may therefore control whetherseparator cup 314 is caused to rotate (or control how fast separator cup314 rotates). This may allow a user to functionally turn system 300 onand off, such that water may be run down the drain and through system300 without separator cup 314 rotating when the system is off (such aswhen no food or waste particles are being passed down the drain). Insome embodiments, inlet 322 may include one or more attachmentmechanisms or attachment means for attaching inlet 322 to any associatedpipe or water line. The attachment means or attachment mechanisms mayinclude, for example, crimps or threading; in some embodiments, inlet322 may include threading in accordance with American National PipeThread Standards, such as ¼″ NPT threading, ⅜″ NPT threading, or ½″ NPTthreading.

In some embodiments, one or more check valves may be used to preventwater and contaminants from flowing backward from the turbine chambertoward and/or into turbine water line 324.

In some embodiments, turbine control valve 326 may be replaced by or maywork in conjunction with a pressure-assist valve, such as the onedescribed below in greater detail with reference to FIG. 11.

FIG. 3B shows garbage separator system 300 in accordance with someembodiments. As shown in FIG. 3B, garbage separator system may includeupper shroud 306, which may have a portion of its upper surface that isconfigured to be placed adjacent to the underside of the sink. In someembodiments, the upper portion of upper shroud 306 may be flat orsubstantially flat; in some other embodiments, the upper portion mayhave any shape that contours to the shape of the underside of the sink.In some embodiments, upper shroud 306 may be attached to the undersideof the sink by any suitable mounting hardware, such as screws or boltsor the like, or such as any mounting system suitable for mounting agarbage disposal system to the underside of a sink. In some embodiments,upper shroud 306 may additionally or alternately be attached to cupbasin 320, such as by any suitable mounting hardware such as screws,bolts, or the like. The connection between upper shroud 306 and cupbasin 320 may create a vertical space between the two such that food andwaste particles ejected from separator cup 314 may have enough room topass up and over the edges of separator cup 314 and cup basin 320 whilepassing below the underside of upper shroud 306.

FIGS. 3C and 3D show cross-sectional views of garbage separator system300 in accordance with some embodiments. FIG, 3C shows a view of garbageseparator system 300 in attachment with a sink, as depicted in FIG. 3B,while FIG. 3D shows a detail cross-sectional view of certain internalcomponents of system 300. As shown in FIG. 3D, separator cup 314 mayhave a convex portion 332 that is located at the bottom of the cup andis configured to cause food and waste particles to fall down the sidesof the convex part toward the helical blades 316 at the wall ofseparator cup 314. Thus, rather than having a flat or concave floor,separator cup 314 may have a dome-shaped or cone-shaped floor thatprevents waste particles from sitting in the middle of the floor of thecup; by nature of the floor of cup 314 slanting outward towards thewalls of the cup, gravity and centrifugal force may combine to cause thewaste particles to move toward helical blades 316 at the edge of cup314.

FIG. 3D further depicts how helical blades 316 of separator cup 314 mayhave one or more helical blade ribs 336. Ribs 336 may be smallprotrusions located on helical blades 316 that may create additionalfriction driving food and waste particles sitting on top of the helicalblades. In some embodiments, ribs 336 may be regularly spaced on helicalblades 316. In some embodiments, ribs 336 may be located on top of, onthe edge of, and/or on the bottom of helical blades 316. In someembodiments, ribs 336 may have a triangular cross-sectional shape, arounded cross-sectional shape, a square cross-sectional shape, or anyother suitable cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, ribs 336 mayform a straight line that may be radial to separator cup 314, may beangled from an axial orientation to separator cup 316, or may form acurved shape. In some embodiments, in place of or in addition to raisedribs 336, helical blades 316 may have one or more ridges or indentationsin one or more surfaces of the blades configured to increase frictionexerted on food/waste particles.

FIG. 3D further depicts how helical blades 316 may, in some embodiments,have a raised lip around an interior edge of one or more of the blades.The raised lip may have any suitable cross-sectional shape and may serveto prevent food/waste particles from sliding off of the helical blades,allowing the helical blades to exert greater outward force on food/wasteparticles. Furthermore, separator cup 314 may have a downwardlyextending lip that protrudes downward from its outer rim; this lip mayhelp prevent food/waste particles from entering the space aboveseparator cup 314 and cup basin 320.

As shown in FIG. 3D, drainage holes 318 in separator cup 314 may belocated at any suitable location on separator cup 314, including on theside walls near, through, or between helical blades 316. Drainage holes318 may alternately or additionally be located on the floor of separatorcup 314. In this way, water may drain out of the sides of separator cup314 and run down the inside surface of funnel-shaped cup basin 320, ormay alternately drain directly down through the floor of separator cup314 and may fall directly into a drainage pipe without being furtherdirected or diverted by cup basin 320.

As shown in FIG. 3D, cup basin 320 may itself contain one or more cupbasin drainage holes 334. In the example shown, cup basin drainage holes334 are formed through a portion of cup basin 320 that connects a lowerportion of cup basin 320 and a drainage pipe of system 300 to an upperportion of cup basin 320 and an element that sits atop cup basin 320. Inthe example shown, water turbine chamber lower part 328 sits atop cupbasin 320, while in some other embodiments separator cup 314 may sitdirectly atop cup basin 320. In the example shown, the portion of cupbasin 320 at which holes 334 are located forms a circular pipe-likestructure that connects a drainage pipe below to the opening of variousdrainage holes 318 formed in the bottom of separator cup 314 above.Drainage holes 334 may allow water to run from the funnel portion of cupbasin 320 into a center portion of cup basin 320 and to fall down intothe drainage pipe below, while still allowing cup basin 320 to supportelements of system 300 that sit atop cup basin 320, such as waterturbine chamber parts or a separator cup or elements attached thereto.

FIG. 3D also depicts water turbine chamber lower part 328, which may bea component of system 300 that forms all or part of a chamber forhousing a water turbine. In some embodiments, as discussed above, awater turbine may be used to drive rotation of a separator cup under theforce of water provided from the water supply associated with the sink.Blades of the water turbine may be located inside a chamber (e.g., aring- or torus-shaped chamber) and may be formed as part of theseparator cup or configured to engage the separator cup, such thatdriving the blades under force of flowing water may cause the separatorcup to rotate. In the embodiment shown, the chamber has a square ringshape (e.g., a square cross-sectional shape that rotates in a ringaround the center axis of rotation of the water turbine and theseparator cup) and is defined on its upper half by a channel in theunderside of separator cup 314 and on its lower half by a channel formedin water turbine chamber lower part 328.

In some embodiments, water turbine chamber lower part 328 may bering-shaped or collar-shaped such that it may define a vertical channelor tube through the middle, through which water may pass after drainingfrom separator cup 314 and before calling downward toward a drainagepipe. As shown in FIG. 3D, water turbine chamber lower part 328 may beconfigured to sit atop and engage cup basin 320 and to sit below andengage separator cup 314. Separator cup 314 may rotate while sittingatop water turbine chamber lower part 328, while water turbine chamberlower part 328 may in some embodiments not rotate.

The chamber formed in part by water turbine chamber lower part 328 maybe in fluid connection with water turbine water inlet 322, such thatwater flowing into water turbine water inlet 322 may then flow to thewater turbine chamber defined in part by water turbine chamber lowerpart 328. A fully enclosed channel or tube in fluid connection withwater turbine water inlet 322 may, for example, open to the ring-shapedpartial-channel or half-channel configured to contain the water turbineblades. Water turbine chamber lower part 328 may, in some embodiments,have one or more drainage holes through which water may drain afterdriving the turbine blades.

FIGS. 3E and 3F show different views of garbage separator system 300 inaccordance with some embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 3E and 3F, waterturbine chamber lower part 328 may include a tubular portion thatextends from the chamber portion (ring portion) outward towards the edgeof the system 300 in order to join in fluid connection with waterturbine water inlet 322. In order to provide efficient water pressure tothe water turbine, the tubular portion of water turbine chamber lowerpart 328 may be aligned in a straight line with the opening of waterturbine water inlet 322 and may align tangentially to the circularturbine chamber formed in part by the chamber portion of water turbinechamber lower part 328, such that water may flow into water turbinechamber inlet 322 and may enter the turbine chamber without beingdirected around a curve or a corner. As shown in FIG. 3F, the tubularportion of water turbine chamber lower part 328 may be positionedslightly below the turbine chamber such that the tubular portion maycurve or bend slightly upward in order for the water flowing through thetubular portion to reach the turbine chamber.

FIGS. 3G and 3H show cross-sectional views of garbage separator system300 in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 3G and 3H illustrate thehollow center of the tubular portion of water turbine chamber lower part328 which may carry water from water turbine water inlet 322 to theturbine chamber. In the illustrated embodiment, the tubular portion ofwater turbine chamber lower part 328 has a circular channel for the flowof water, while the turbine chamber is rectangular.

As shown in FIG. 3G, separator cup 314 may be configured to rotate aboutspindle 330, which may be any rod or axis. Spindle 330 may in someembodiments be formed of a metal resistant to rusting and wear, such asstainless steel. In some embodiments, spindle 330 may be mounted at itsbottom end in a cavity of water turbine chamber lower part 328, may passthrough a center portion of separator cup 314, and may be mounted at itstop end in a cavity of upper shroud 306, such as a cavity formed on theunderside of a bar or guard centered on opening 302, thereby allowingseparator cup 314 to rotate about an axis aligned with the center ofopening 302.

As further shown in FIG. 3G, system 300 may comprise thrust washer 340,or any other suitable type of rotary bearing. In some embodiments,thrust washer 340 may be disposed around spindle 330 and configured tosupport the weight of separator cup 314 as it sits atop thrust washer340. In some embodiments, any other suitable bearing or mechanismconfigured to allow rotation of the separator cup and/or to support someor all of the weight of the separator cup may be used in addition to orin place of thrust washer 340.

As shown in FIG. 3H, water turbine chamber lower part 328 may include acentral portion which may mate or couple with spindle 330, a series ofspoke portions that extend radially outward from the central portion, achamber portion that forms the housing for the lower portion of theturbine chamber, and a tubular portion that extends tangentially fromthe chamber portion to water turbine water inlet 322. Connecting thecentral portion to the chamber portion that surrounds it via one or morespokes, rather than by a large or continuous connection, may create oneor more open spaces between the chamber portion and the central portionthrough which drain water may fall from separator cup 314 down toward adrainage pipe.

FIG. 3I shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments. FIG. 3I illustrates how separator cup 314 may have one ormore drainage holes 318 that are positioned on the separator cup 314such that they may open into the turbine chamber. In some embodiments,the top of the turbine chamber may be open at some or all portions suchthat water may flow between the turbine chamber and separator cup 314.In some embodiments, water passing through these holes may allow forfood/waste particles that are stuck to become unstuck.

FIGS. 3J and 3K show an example of a garbage separator system. Thegarbage separator system and subcomponents thereof shown in thesefigures may share some or all properties with systems 100, 200, and/or300 (and their subcomponents) as discussed above.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3J and 3K, separator cup 314 may have helicalblades 316 having a pitch (e.g., vertical offset) of 14 mm, and a widthof 8 mm. Helical blades 316 may protrude from the wall of separator cup314 and create an underhang underneath the blades. Drainage holes 318may be circular in shape and are spaced apart horizontally by a distancegreater than the width of the holes themselves, and may account for lessthan 50%, less than 25%, or less than 10% of the surface area ofseparator cup 314.

In other embodiments, garbage separator systems may have separator cupshaving one or more properties that are different from the separator cupof the system shown in FIGS. 3J and 3K. The separator cups discussed inthe embodiments below may be integrated into garbage separator systemsthat may share some or all properties with systems 100, 200, and/or 300(and their subcomponents) as discussed above.

In some embodiments, a separator cup may have helical blades having apitch (e.g., vertical offset) of 18 mm, and a width of 5 mm. The overallshape (e.g., the wall angle, width, height, etc,) of the separator cupmay be similar to the shape of separator cup 314. The helical blades maybe wedge-shaped, such that they do not create any underhang spacebeneath them. In some embodiments, elimination of an underhang space mayprevent food/waste particles from becoming trapped beneath the bladesand may reduce buildup of grime on the separator cup. Drainage holes maybe rectangular in shape and may be spaced apart horizontally by adistance approximately equal to the width of the holes themselves.Drainage holes may account for more than 10%, more than 25%, or morethan 50% of the surface area of the separator cup.

In some embodiments, a separator cup may have helical blades having apitch (e.g., vertical offset) of 18 mm, and a width of 3 mm. The overallshape (e.g., the wall angle, width, height, etc.) of such a separatorcup and the arrangement and shape of drainage holes in such a separatorcup may be similar to the shape and drainage hole arrangement of otherseparator cups discussed herein.

In some embodiments, a separator cup may have no helical blades. Ingarbage separator systems having no helical blades, the outward forcesexerted on waste/food particles by the sloped floor of the separator cupand by the rotation (e.g., centrifugal forces exerted on the waste foodparticles) of the separator cup may be the only forces acting to expelwaste/food particles upwards and outwards and to eject them from theseparator cup. The overall shape (e.g., the wall angle, width, height,etc.) of a separator cup having no helical blades and the arrangementand shape of drainage holes in such a separator cup may be similar tothe shape and drainage hole arrangement of other separator cupsdiscussed herein.

In some embodiments, a garbage separator system may include an intakeopening, a water outlet, an upper shroud, a lower shroud, a removablewaste bin, a separator cup, helical blades, separator cup drainageholes, a cup basin, a water turbine water inlet, a spindle, separatorcup convex portion, cup basin drainage holes, and a thrust washer. Sucha garbage separator system and its components may share some or allcharacteristics in common with other garbage separator systems discussedherein, including garbage separator systems 100, 200, and/or 300 andtheir corresponding components as discussed above with reference toFIGS. 1-3; in some embodiments, such a garbage separator system maydiffer from other garbage separator systems discussed herein, includinggarbage separator systems 100, 200, and/or 300, in that the turbine ofsystems 100, 200, and/or 300 may be molded into the separator cup,whereas the turbine of such a garbage separator system may be a separatepart in a separate chamber. In some embodiments, an integral turbinemolded into the separator cup may be more economical in that it requiresfewer separate parts, but it may in some embodiments be more difficultto seal.

A separator cup of such a garbage separator system may have a lesserheight, a shallower side-wall angle, and/or a shallower convex portionas compared to separator cup 314 and its convex portion 332. In furtherdifferentiation from the embodiment of garbage separator 300, a spindlemay only extend to the top of a separator cup convex portion, ratherthan extending through the space above the floor of the separator cupand up toward the upper shroud, inlet opening, and sink drain as insystem 300. In some embodiments, a spindle not extending above the floorof a separator cup may make it less likely that food or waste particlesbecome clogged in the system by colliding with the spindle.

In some such embodiments, a separator cup sits atop a water turbinechamber. Whereas in the embodiment of system 300 described above withreference to FIG. 3, separator cup 314 sits directly atop water turbinechamber lower part 328 (which joins directly to water turbine waterinlet 322), some embodiments include a distinct element between a waterturbine water inlet and a separator cup. In some embodiments, the bladesof the water turbine may be located in a turbine chamber separated from(rather than defined in part by) the body of the separator cup; thus,rather than the turbine blades being attached directly to separator cup314 as in system 300, the turbine blades of some such systems may beseparate from a separator cup and may be contained within a turbinechamber that is separate from the separator cup. The turbine blades maydrive an axis (e.g., a spindle) or another component that is attached toor engages with the separator cup to cause rotation of the separatorcup. Having the separator cup being distinct from the water turbinechamber may help, in some embodiments, to prevent the leakage of waterfrom water turbine chamber.

In some such embodiments, a lower shroud may guide food/waste particlesinto a removable waste bin. A lower shroud may have a slanted wallportion that slants inward. toward the center of the garbage separatorsystem to form a downward slope toward the opposite side of the system.This downward inward slope may allow food/waste particles to fall downthe slope and be guided toward the side of the system in which theremovable waste bin is located. The removable waste bin may beconfigured to be inserted and removed from the lower shroud, such thatthe bin may slide in and out of a cavity in the lower shroud. The lowershroud may be internally open to the removable waste bin such thatfood/waste particles ejected over the top rim of a separator cup and cupbasin tray fall downward inside the upper shroud and lower shroud andfall into the open top side of the removable waste bin\. The removablewaste bin and lower shroud may have side walls that are shaped to forman easily grippable portion for easy manual removal of bin by a user.For example, two indentations may form a handhold by which the user cangrab the bin to slide it out. The side walls of the bin and lower shroudmay align with one another such that food/waste does not escape whenfalling and such that odors do not escape the waste bin.

FIGS. 4A-4F show various views of garbage separator system 400, whichmay include intake opening 402, water outlet 404, upper shroud 406,lower shroud 408, removable waste bin 410, separator cup 414, helicalblades 416, separator cup drainage holes 418, cup basin 420, waterturbine water inlet 422, spindle 430, separator cup convex portion 432,and cup basin drainage holes 434. Garbage separator system 400 and itscomponents may share some or all characteristics in common with othergarbage separator systems discussed herein, including garbage separatorsystems 100, 200, and/or 300 and their corresponding components asdiscussed above with reference to FIGS. 1-3.

FIGS. 4A and 4B depict views of garbage separator system 400 thatdemonstrate how lower shroud 408 may in some embodiments be removablefrom and/or able to be fully or partly disengaged from one or more othercomponents of the system 400. In some embodiments, separation ordisengagement of the lower shroud may allow for it to be periodicallycleaned by a user. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, lowershroud 408 may slide horizontally away from system 400 to be removed;lower shroud 408 may be shaped such that a notch (e.g., a cut-out)extends from one side of shroud 408 to the center of shroud 408, suchthat shroud 408 may slide around centrally located components of system400 such as cup basin 420 and a vertical drainage pipe of system 400.When shroud 408 is engaged with system 400, a central drainage column ofsystem 400 may sit at the centermost portion of the notch formed inshroud 408. In some embodiments, system 400 (or other garbage separatorsystems herein) may be configured such that a separator cup, returnmanifold and impeller motor may all slide out for removal for cleaningtogether, and such that the various components may be able to beseparated from one another for cleaning once they have been slid outfrom the system.

In some embodiments, including those with removable components,connections between fluid-carrying components may be made with gaskets,press-in tube, o-rings, and/or retaining latches; this may preventoperating pressure of the system from pushing connections apart from oneanother, in some embodiments (such as electrically-powered embodimentsof the system), connections between components may be made usingreceptacles similar to those in rechargeable batteries for power tools.

In some embodiments in which shroud 408 includes a slot or notchallowing it to be slid off of system 400 around central components ofsystem 400 such as cup basin 420, cup basin 420 may form a partial sealagainst the outer rim of upper shroud 406. For example, cup basin 420may join or touch upper shroud 406 for a portion of the circumference ofcup basin 420 and/or upper shroud 406 such that food particles ejectedfrom separator cup 414 may not fall over the edge of separator cup 414and down through the open notch/slot of lower shroud 408 and out ofsystem 400 entirely. Thus, the portion of cup basin 420 that approaches,joins with, or touches upper shroud 406 may align with the notch/slot inlower shroud 408 in order to prevent food/waste particles from beingejected in the direction of the notch/slot.

FIGS. 4C and 4D show how, in some embodiments, garbage separator system400 may include cleaning agent supply 442. In some embodiments, cleaningagent supply 442 may be a supply of any soap, detergent, chemical,solution, or cleaner configured to be used to clean a garbage separator,sink, or any associated component. In some embodiments, cleaning agentsupply 442 may comprise a bottle, bag, cartridge, or other container ofliquid cleaning solution.

As shown in FIG. 4E, in some embodiments, separator cup 414 may beconfigured to catch and prevent water from being pushed over the top ofthe edge of the separator cup, such as by including one or moreprotrusions and/or indentations configured to interrupt the flow ofwater toward and/or over the edge of the separator cup.

In some embodiments, cleaning agent supply 442 may include aconcentrated cleaning solution or cleaning fluid configured to be mixedwith water provided from the water source of a sink system and toaccordingly be diluted to an appropriate concentration for cleaning ofthe sink or of an associated garbage separator system. Using aconcentrated cleaner may be advantageous because it may decrease theburden in refilling or otherwise repeatedly providing larger volumes ofdiluted cleaning solution. For example, a user of garbage separatorsystem 400 may simply need to periodically replace a small, lightweightbottle, cartridge, bag, or other container of concentrated cleaner.Thus, concentrated cleaner configured to be automatically diluted fromwater provided by a sink system may substantially lower the physicalburden on users cleaning garbage separator components and, further, maydecrease the inconvenience of needing to perform frequent manualoperations to apply cleaner directly or to refill or replace containersof dilute cleaner or water.

In some embodiments, cleaning agent supply 442 may comprise a bottle,bag, cartridge, or other container configured to be attached to one ormore other components of garbage separator system 400. In someembodiments, a container of concentrated cleaning liquid may beconfigured to be inserted into an opening on a pipe or other componentof a garbage separator system. For example, a container of cleaningliquid may have an opening, such as an opening at a top of a bottle oran opening joined to a bag, that is configured to be joined to anopening of a component of a garbage separator system. In someembodiments, the opening may have threads along an outer or inner edgesuch that the opening may be threaded onto and attached securely to thecomponent. In some embodiments, other techniques may be used to attachthe opening, including, but not limited to, mechanical attachment(clasps, buckles, snaps, clamps, etc.), suction, magnetic attachment, orany other suitable attachment device, system, or technique. In someembodiments, attachment systems and/or techniques may be configured toallow simple and repeated attachment, detachment, and re-attachment suchthat a user may replace or refill the container as necessary.

In some embodiments, the container may be a bottle or bag containingcleaner liquid. In some embodiments, the container may have a roundopening having threads configured to attach to a threaded opening on acomponent of the separator system such that the container may be screwedonto the separator system to attach into place in fluid connection withthe attached component. In some embodiments, the container may beconfigured to attach to garbage separator system 400 such that theopening faces downward and such that gravity may cause the liquid in thecontainer to flow out of the container. In some embodiments, such asthose in which the container is configured to attach such that theopening on the container is not facing downward, other techniques may beused to cause flow of liquid out of the container. For example, suctionmay be created to cause flow of liquid out of the container; in someembodiments, suction may applied via a pump powered by electrical powerand/or by a Venturi pump system creating suction due to the flow ofwater through the pipes associated with the garbage separator system.

In some embodiments, the container of cleaning agent supply 442 may bepartially or substantially inflexible, such as when the container is abottle. In some such embodiments, an air outlet may be included in thecontainer such that, as suction is applied to the container or asgravity operates to move liquid out of the container, the container mayrefill with air as the liquid exits. For example, a second opening maybe provided in the container to allow air to enter the container; thesecond opening may be configured or positioned such that liquid may notflow out of it. In some embodiments, the second opening may beconfigured to be closed until the container is attached to the system,at which time the opening may be automatically opened, such as by beingpunctured or pressed into an open position by the force applied by theuser in attaching the container (e.g., the second opening may be coveredby foil or plastic that is punctured when the container is placed intothe attached position). In some embodiments, the primary opening of thecontainer (e.g., the opening configured to allow liquid to flow out ofthe container), may similarly (e.g., additionally or alternatively) beconfigured to be closed or sealed before attachment and to beautomatically opened when the container is attached.

In some embodiments, rather than being configured to be able to fillwith air as liquid exits the container, the container may be configuredas a substantially flexible and collapsible bag such that the containermay compress and/or collapse under the suction force applied to it sothat it has substantially no volume when completely collapsed under thesection force (e.g., less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, lessthan 2%, or less than 1% of the volume when full). In these embodiments,there may be no need to allow the container to fill with air. In somesuch embodiments, the container may be a plastic bag, which mayoptionally be contained inside a substantially inflexible outercontainer (e.g., bottle or cartridge).

In some embodiments, in order to allow for liquid to be drawn from thecontainer when the opening is positioned at the top of the container(e.g., when liquid is drawn from the container by suction rather than bygravity), a straw or other tube may be positioned inside the containerin order to allow a suction force to be applied to the bottom of thecontainer and to draw liquid upward from the bottom of the container,even when an upper portion of the container adjacent to the opening isfilled only with air. In some embodiments, the straw may be anintegrated part of the container itself, such as a straw attached to theunderside of a cap of the container, configured such that the opening atthe top of the straw may be punctured or otherwise opened when thecontainer is attached to a component of garbage separator system 400. Insome embodiments, the straw may be a part of the component of garbageseparator system 400 to which the container attaches, such that thecontainer opening slides around the straw as the container is attachedto the component.

In some embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 4C-4F, cleaning agentsupply 442 may be fluidly connected to water turbine water line 424 suchthat cleaning fluid or detergent may enter water turbine water line 424and flow separator cup 414. In some embodiments, cleaning fluid ordetergent may enter water turbine water line 424 and flow directly intothe water turbine, such that the water turbine blades and the inside ofthe water turbine chamber may be cleaned.

In some embodiments, water turbine water line 424 may be fluidlyconnected to another water line, such as cup basin cleaning water line448, that splits from water turbine water line 424 and directs waterinto the inside of cup basin 420. Cup basin cleaning water line 448 may,as shown in FIGS. 4C-4F, have a smaller diameter than water turbinewater line 424. In some embodiments, cup basin cleaning water line 448may direct a flow of water and cleaning fluid/detergent to the inside ofcup basin 420 such that the inside of cup basin 420 may be automaticallycleaned when system 400 is used.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4C-4F, cup basin cleaning waterline 448 may be attached to valve 450, which may in some embodiments bephysically or electrically controllable to block or allow the flow ofwater and cleaning fluid from cup basin cleaning water line 448, suchthat a cup basin cleaning function of system 400 may in some embodimentsbe activated and/or deactivated separately from the water turbinedriving the primary garbage separation function of system 400. In someembodiments, cup basin cleaning water line 448 may terminate at valve450 at a tangential orientation to the edge of cup basin 420, such thatwater may be sprayed along the interior circular surface of cup basin420. In some embodiments, water may be sprayed in the opposite directionof rotation of separator cup 414 in order to be most effective atcleaning off stuck debris on cup basin 420.

In the examples of FIGS. 4C-4F, cleaning agent supply 442 is shown asattaching to water turbine water line 424 upstream of the connection ofwater turbine water line 424 and cup basin cleaning water line 448;however, in some embodiments, cleaning agent supply 442 may attachdirectly to cup basin cleaning water line 448 downstream of theconnection of water turbine water line 424 and cup basin cleaning waterline 448, such that cleaning fluid/detergent may be directed solely intocup basin 420 and not into the turbine chamber.

In some embodiments, cleaning agent supply 442 may be fluidly connectedto a pump that may cause cleaning agent to flow into the attached waterlines. In some embodiments, such a pump may be powered by electricalpower and may be configured to apply suction force to draw in liquidfrom cleaning agent supply 442 and to output the liquid toward and/orinto the flow path. Upon being drawn into the flow of water, the liquidof cleaning agent supply 442 may be mixed into and diluted in the waterflow. In some embodiments, alternately or in addition to the arrangementincluding a pump as described above, cleaning agent supply 442 may befluidly connected to a Venturi, which may be downstream from cleaningagent supply 442. In some embodiments, a Venturi may be any valveconfigured to create suction due to the Venturi effect. In someembodiments, a Venturi may be positioned in the flow path such that aprimary flow of water may flow through the Venturi along water turbinewater line 448 and such that the flow of water may create a pressuredifference that applies suction to an inlet that is fluidly connected tocleaning agent supply 442 such that cleaning agent is drawn into theprimary flow of water by the suction force. Upon being drawn into theflow of water, the liquid of cleaning agent supply 442 may be mixed intoand diluted in the water flow. In some embodiments, a Venturi may becontrolled by and/or positioned adjacent to a solenoid such that currentdelivered to the solenoid may cause the inlet of the Venturi to beselectably opened and closed so that cleaner may flow to or be blockedfrom flowing to the inlet.

In some embodiments, a user may inject cleaning fluid into the systemvia one or more primer bulbs. For example, a user may create pressureand/or suction by pressing a primer bulb, and the pressure or suctionmay cause cleaning agent to flow toward and/or into the flow pathterminating at the water turbine chamber and/or valve 450.

In some embodiments, a garbage separator system may be configured to beself-cleaning. For example, the garbage separator system may beconfigured to be able to perform a cleaning cycle without the need for auser to manually disassemble and/or manually clean one or morecomponents of the system. In some embodiments, the system may beconfigured such that a cleaning cycle may be performed on a regularbasis (e.g., a timer or calendar), may be performed in accordance with auser command, and/or may be performed in accordance with the systemdetecting one or more trigger conditions causing the system to determinethat the cycle should be performed.

In some embodiments, a self-cleaning garbage separator system may beconfigured to automatically cause water and/or cleaning fluid to flowthrough and/or over one or more components the system in the absence ofwaste and or ink water flowing over or through the one or morecomponents of the system. In some embodiments, performing a cleaningcycle may comprise dispensing more cleaning fluid than would be usedduring regular operation of the system, or cleaning fluid may only bedispensed during a cleaning cycle and not used at all during regularoperation of the system. In some embodiments, one or more valves of thesystem may be controlled such that higher or lower water pressure may beused during a cleaning cycle as compared to during regular operation ofthe system.

In some embodiments, the system may include one or more covers thatengages the system during a cleaning cycle. For example, a cover may beconfigured to cover the drain opening during a cleaning cycle such thatwater and/or cleaning solution does not flow out of the system duringthe cleaning cycle. In some embodiments, a cover may be configured toengage the system through mechanical attachment (e.g., latches, hooks,screws), magnetic attachment, suction attachment, or through any othersuitable engagement or attachment mechanism or technique. Using a covermay prevent water, cleaning fluid, steam, and/or waste from beingejected from the system during a cleaning cycle, and may thereforeimprove safety and cleanliness during performance of a cleaning cycle.

In some embodiments, a garbage separator system may include an intakeopening, a water outlet, an upper shroud, a lower shroud, a removablewaste bin, a separator cup, a cup basin, a water turbine chamber, anattachment ring, and a fixed housing. In some embodiments, such agarbage separator system and its components may share some or allcharacteristics in common with other garbage separator systems discussedherein, including garbage separator systems 100, 200, 300, 400 and theircorresponding components as discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

In some embodiments of such a garbage separator, the lower shroud, uppershroud, collection bin, and various other components of the system maybe separable from one another, such as by being configured to be able tobe fully or partly disengaged from one or more other components of thesystem. In some embodiments, separation or disengagement of variouscomponents may allow them to be cleaned by a user. In some embodiments,the lower shroud and bin may slide horizontally away from the system tobe removed; the upper shroud may be upwardly removable from the fixedhousing; and the separator cup, cup basin, and water turbine chamber maybe upwardly removable (together and/or separately from one another) fromthe lower shroud.

In some embodiments, a garbage separator system may include an uppershroud, a removable waste bin, a fixed housing, a water turbine chamber,a water turbine water inlet, a water turbine water outlet, a waterturbine water inlet connection, a water turbine water outlet connection,and a handle. In some embodiments, such a garbage separator system andits components may share some or all characteristics in common withother garbage separator systems discussed herein, including garbageseparator systems 100, 200, 300, and/or 400 and their correspondingcomponents as discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

In some embodiments, such a garbage separator system may have both awater turbine water inlet and a dedicated water turbine water outlet.That is, rather than all water that runs through the water turbinedraining directly into the same drainage system into which foodparticles and drain water flows, some or all of the water from the waterturbine chamber may instead be directed to flow out of a dedicatedoutlet. In some embodiments, the dedicated water turbine water outletmay direct the flow of water from the water turbine chamber to an airgap, which may prevent water from being forced back toward the inletsource in the event of a clog or blockage and which may be required forcode compliance in some jurisdictions. In some embodiments, afterflowing to and through an air gap, the water that has flowed through thewater turbine may thereafter be directed toward and into the drainitself. In some embodiments, an air gap associated with the system maybe mounted on top of a sink and/or countertop associated with thesystem.

For example, water may flow into the water turbine chamber through thewater turbine water inlet, and may flow out of the water turbine chamberthrough the water turbine water outlet. The outlet may in someembodiments share any one or more characteristics in common with theinlet of the system (or other water turbine inlets described herein),except that it may be configured such that water flows out of it ratherthan into it. After flowing out of the outlet, the water may be directedto flow through an air gap and then into a drain.

Furthermore, such a garbage separator system may have a water turbineinlet and/or water turbine outlet that is removable from a connector,such that the water turbine chamber (along with the inlet and outlet)may be removed from a water source and/or a water outlet destination.For example, in systems in which one or more components may be removedfrom a fixed housing and/or separated from one another, a water turbineinlet may be detachable from a water turbine water inlet connection, anda water turbine outlet may be detachable from a water turbine wateroutlet connection. In some embodiments, an inlet connection and/oroutlet connection may be a port or other connection configured to befluidly connectable to a water turbine inlet and/or outlet. In someembodiments, an inlet connection and/or outlet connection may be smallerin diameter than its corresponding connecting component or alternatelymay be larger in diameter than its corresponding connecting components,such that one may slide into the other in order to be connected. In someembodiments, an inlet connection and/or outlet connection may beconnectible by threads, o-rings, force seals, or any other suitableconnection mechanism(s).

For example, the water turbine water inlet connection and the waterturbine water outlet connection may be connectible to the inlet and theoutlet, respectively, by o-ring seals. In this way, the water turbinechamber may be pulled away from a fixed housing such that the inlet andthe outlet detach from the respective connections, and the chamber maythen be forced back in the other direction such that the inlet and theoutlet reattach to the connections. In some embodiments, o-ringconnection mechanisms may allow for simple linear movements to be usedfor disconnection and reconnection, such that more than one connectionmay be disconnected and/or reconnected at once by a simple linear motionof the overall water turbine chamber, which may not be possible incertain embodiments if the connections rely on threaded connectionmechanisms in which each connection must be rotated independently.

In some embodiments, attachment and detachment of inlet components andoutlet components for the flow of water to and from a water turbinechamber may require one or more mechanisms to ensure that sufficientforce is applied to hold one or more components in an attached position.For example, one or more components may need to be locked into place inorder for the connections to hold under the force of water pressurebeing applied to them. In some embodiments, one or more components maybe held in place by latches, hooks, cams, handled, or some combinationthereof. In some embodiments, locking one or more components into placewith one or more cams may be advantageous because it may enable theapplication of sufficient linear pressure when in the locked position tohold the component firmly in place while under water pressure, while itmay nonetheless be actuable by a user by hand.

In some embodiments of a herbage separator system having a handle and anintegrated latching mechanism, one or more handle mechanisms of agarbage separator system may be used in connecting and disconnectinginlets and/or outlets for an water turbine chamber. For example, ahandle may be configured such that it may be used by a user to pull awater turbine chamber away from its connections and to push the waterturbine chamber toward its connections. A handle may further beconfigured such that it may have one or more integrated latch/cammechanisms configured to apply force to an water turbine chamber whenthe integrated latch/cam mechanism is forced into the locked position;this force may press the water turbine chamber toward the inlet/outletconnections in order to create a watertight seal when the system is in alocked position.

For example, a handle may be attached to an upper shroud and maycomprise an integrated latching mechanism. In some embodiments, a usermay move the upper and lower portions of the handle apart from oneanother to place the handle into an unlocked position, and may force theupper and lower portions of the handle toward one another to place thehandle into a locked position. In the locked position, the latchingmechanism of the handle may apply force against the separator cup, cupbasin, and/or water turbine chamber, which may sit inside the uppershroud. When the upper shroud and the attached handle are seatedsecurely in the fixed housing, the inward force applied by the latchingmechanism may force the water turbine inlet and the water turbine outlettoward and securely into their respective outlets, creating awater-tight seal when the handle is forced into a locked position by auser. In this way, the handle and latching mechanism may allow a user toeasily attach and detach water turbine water inlets and outlets fromfixed connections by hand and without the use of tools in such a waythat water-tight connections are reliably achieved.

In some embodiments, a flush-mounted pressure-assist valve is provided.In some embodiments, a turbine control valve of a garbage separatorsystem may be replaced by or may work in conjunction with apressure-assist valve. In some embodiments, the pressure-assist valvemay include a button, which may be a flush button mounted on acountertop, configured to be pressed by a user. Pressing the button withminimal force, or otherwise actuating a low-pressure valve in any mannerthat may require minimal force, may cause a channel to be opened toallow for water to fill a chamber (e.g., a chamber located below thebutton) and to in turn open a high pressure valve. The opening of thehigh-pressure valve may then allow water to flow at a sufficientpressure to drive a turbine and cause a garbage separator system tooperate. Using a flush-mounted button to control operation of a garbageseparator system may be advantageous in that the flush-mounted buttonmay take up less counter-space than other control mechanisms, and may bemore inconspicuous and/or less likely to aesthetically clash withexisting kitchen fixtures. Using a pressure-assist valve to controloperation of a garbage separator system may be advantageous in that itmay allow use of a flush-mounted button and may allow use with minimalforce required to be applied in order to actuate the control mechanism.

FIG. 5 shows a garbage separator system in accordance with someembodiments. As shown in FIG. 5, garbage separator system 500 mayinclude inlet 502, which may be an inlet configured to be disposedbeneath the drain of a sink and to receive flow of water and waste/foodparticles from the sink drain. In some embodiments, inlet 502 mayinclude one or more attachment mechanisms or attachment means forattaching inlet 502 to the underside of a drain of a sink. Theattachment mechanisms may include, for example, screws, bolts,threading, crimps, a quarter-turn mechanism, any garbage-disposalattachment-mechanism(s), or any other suitable attachment mechanism. Insome embodiments, system 500 may be configured to be mounted beneath andused with a household kitchen sink, and may have an overall sizeconfigured for mounting beneath a household kitchen sink. In someembodiments, system 500 may be configured to be mounted beneath and usedwith a commercial or industrial kitchen sink, and may have an overallsize configured for mounting beneath a commercial or industrial kitchensink. Garbage separator system 500 and its components may share one ormore features in common with other garbage separator systems discussedherein and their corresponding components.

In some embodiments, inlet 502 may have one or more bars, guards, orobstructions covering the opening; these guards may be configured toprevent particles above a certain size from passing through the inlet,and/or to reduce the risk of injury by preventing a user from reachinginto the sink drain. For example, particles larger than one or moreopenings or passageways defined by the internal components of system 500may be prevented from passing through inlet 502.

System 500 may further comprise a water outlet 504 that may connect to apipe through which drainage water may flow to a septic or sewer system.In some embodiments, a check-valve downstream of opening 504 may beincluded in order to prevent water from backing up into the system dueto a clog. In some embodiments, the drainage pipe connected to thebottom of garbage separator system 500 may include a trap formed by thebend in the pipe.

When system 500 is installed between a drain of a sink and the pipeleading to the septic or sewer system, the system may be configured toseparate drainage water from food waste and other waste particles bydirecting food particles and other waste particles into removable wastebin 518, which may be any bucket, bin, basin, or receptacle that may beconfigured to collect waste particles and to be removed from the system,emptied, washed, and replaced. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, removablewaste bin 518 may be slid away from housing 518 to be temporarilyremoved from system 500. Unlike waste food particles directed toremovable waste bin 518, drainage water may be allowed to pass throughsystem 500 and out of opening 504 and into the septic or sewer system.Manners in which this separation may be achieved are discussed infurther detail below.

As shown by FIG. 5, water draining into system 500 through inlet 502 maypass essentially directly downward toward and out of outlet 504, asillustrated by the blue arrows. Outlet 504 may be located essentiallydirectly below inlet 502, such that water falling under the three ofgravity may fall from inlet 502 to outlet 504.

System 500 may comprise screw conveyor 506, which may be configured tointersect the pathway between inlet 502 and outlet 504. In someembodiments, screw conveyor 506 may be any conveyor mechanism configuredto convey water arid/or food/waste particles by use of one or morehelical screw drives, such as screw drive 508. As shown in FIG. 5.conveyor 506 may comprise screw drive 508 disposed inside tube 510.Screw drive 508 may he any helical drive and/or helical blade configuredto be rotated along a rotational axis and to thereby convey water and/orfood/waste particles in a direction parallel to the rotational axis bypushing the water and/or food/waste particles with the rotating helicalblades. In the example of system 500, screw drive 508 may forcefood/waste particles from the right side of conveyor 506 (where itintersects with the drainage path below opening 502) to the left side ofconveyor 506, where food/waste particles may fall down through housing520 and into waste bin 518. In some embodiments, conveyor 506 may conveyfood/waste in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular acentral axis of the drain of the sink under which the separator systemis installed.

In some embodiments, screw drives such as screw drive 508 may comprise acore and flutes. The core may be a cylindrical center portion that runsalong a primary axis of rotation of the screw drive, and the flutes mayprotrusions helical blades) that extend outwardly from the core and areconfigured to push food waste perpendicularly to the core when theflutes are rotated during operation of the garbage separator.

In some embodiments, a distance from an outer surface of the core to anouter edge of one or more of the flutes may be less than 22 mm, 30 mm,38 mm, 46 mm, or 52 mm. In some embodiments, a distance from an outersurface of the core to an outer edge of one or more of the flutes may begreater than 22 mm, 30 mm, 38 mm, 46 mm, or 52 mm.

In some embodiments, a screw drive such as screw drive 508 may fitsnugly inside a tube such as tube 510. In some embodiments, an averagedistance between an outside edge of one or more of the flutes and aninside surface of the tube may be less than 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm,0.9 mm, 1 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.45 mm, 1.7 mm, or 1.95 mm. Insome embodiments, an average distance between an outside edge of one ormore of the flutes and an inside surface of the tube may be greater than0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.45 mm,1.7 mm, or 1.95 mm.

Tube 510 may be any tubing or encasing structure that fully or partiallysurrounds screw drive 508. Tube 510 is shown in FIG. 5 as having acircular cross-sectional shape, though it may have differentcross-sectional shapes, including having a varying cross-sectional shapealong its length in the direction of the axis of rotation. In someembodiments, tube 510 may be approximately 3 inches, 4 inches, 6 inches,or 8 inches in diameter. In some embodiments, tube 510 may beapproximately 6 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches, 12 inches, 14 inches, 16inches, or 18 inches in length.

Tube 510 may comprise one or more drainage holes 512 or perforationsdisposed on the side and/or bottom of tube 510, including directly belowinlet 502, such that food and waste particles may be prevented fromfalling through the bottom of tube 510 and toward outlet 504, but watermay drain out of the bottom and/or side of tube 510 and toward outlet504. In some embodiments, holes 512 may be configured to be large andnumerous enough (e.g., they may account for a sufficiently largepercentage of the surface area of the bottom and/or sides of tube 510)to allow all or substantially all water directed into tube 510 to passthrough tube 510 and into the septic or sewer system. In someembodiments, including a number of drainage holes along a distancerunning the parallel to the axis of rotation of conveyor 506 may improvedrainage capabilities of conveyor 506 by allowing water to drain out oftube 510 at more locations that just directly below opening 502. Thus,when water is pushed by screw drive 508 along part of the distance ofconveyor 506, it may nonetheless have the opportunity to drain out oftube 510. Furthermore, as food/waste particles are agitated by screwdrive 510 as they are forced along the length of conveyor 506, theparticles may be dried and water that is shaken from the particles mayfall through holes 512 and out of tube 510.

As shown, holes 512 may be located above return manifold 514, which maybe a slanted wall configured to catch water falling through holes 512and direct the water laterally toward outlet 504 as the water runs downthe inside of the wall under the force of gravity.

While tube 510 may be closed on its bottom side (with the exception ofholes 512) along some or most of its length, tube 510 may be open on itsbottom and or sides at a distal end from inlet 502. That is, at the farend of tube 510 opposite opening 502, tube 510 may have one or morelarge openings on its bottom and/or sides, configured to be large enoughto allow food and waste particles conveyed along conveyor 506 to fallthrough the bottom of tube 510 and down toward waste bin 518. As shownin FIG. 5, tube 510 may have a single large opening (or a plurality oflarge openings) above housing 520, such that particles may fall down outof tube 510, through housing 520, and into the open top side of bin 518.In some embodiments, tube 510 may be sufficiently long such that amajority of water will drain through holes 512 before being forced thelength of tube 510 to reach the opening above waste bin 518;accordingly, a minimal amount of water may be caused to drain into wastebin 518, minimizing the frequency with which waste bin 518 needs to beemptied and the labor involved with emptying waste bin 518.

As shown, waste bin 518 may be configured to be inserted and removedfrom housing 520, such that bin 518 may slide in and out of a cavity inhousing 520. Housing 520 may be internally open to waste bin 518 suchthat food/waste particles may fall downward inside housing 520 and fallinto the open top side of waste bin 518. Removable waste bin 518 andhousing 520 may, in some embodiments, have one or more walls that areshaped to form an easily grippable portion for easy manual removal ofbin 518 by a user. For example, two indentations may form a handhold bywhich the user can grab bin 518 to slide it out. The side walls of bin518 and housing 520 may align with one another such that food/waste doesnot escape when falling and such that odors do not escape bin 518.

In some embodiments, bin 518 may be provided with one or more sensors(e.g., Hall effect sensors, optical sensors, IR sensors, or the like)configured to detect its position, such that system 500 may be preventedfrom being turned on if bin 518 is not secured in its place in system500. In some embodiments, one or more sensors may be configured todetect whether bin 518 is in place and/or whether one or more sealingdevices (e.g., handles, latches, cams, etc.) are secured, such thatsystem 500 may be prevented from being turned on otherwise. In someembodiments, system 500 may also be configured such that it willautomatically deactivate if bin 518 becomes unsecured and/or is removedfrom its position in system 500 during operation.

As shown in FIG. 5, system 500 may further comprise motor 516, which insome embodiments may be disposed at an end of tube 510 opposite cap 522.Motor 516 may be mechanically coupled to screw drive 508 and configuredto drive rotation of screw drive 508. In some embodiments, motor 516 maybe coupled to screw drive 508 (e.g., a hexagonal axis element) by aslip-on connection, such that a cavity in the axis of screw drive 508may slide onto a protruding axis element of motor 516, and rotation ofthe protruding axis element may drive corresponding rotation of screwdrive 508. In some embodiments, motor 516 may be an electrical motorconfigured to draw power from a battery or from a wall outlet, and mayhe configured to drive rotation of screw drive 508 with sufficienttorque to convey food/waste particles and water along the length ofconveyor 506. In some embodiments, motor 516 may be disposed at anotherlocation of system 500, or remotely from system 500, and may be coupledto screw drive 508 by one or more axles and/or gears.

In some embodiments, a user may be able to turn system 500 on byactivating motor 516 and causing screw drive 508 to rotate, and a usermay be able to turn system 500 off by deactivating motor 516 and causingscrew drive 508 to cease rotating. In some embodiments, system 500 maybe configured to be able to be turned on and off in accordance with auser actuating a switch, a voice command, detecting presence offood/waste particles by one or more sensors, and/or detecting a controlsignal conveyed from a remote electronic device. When system 500 is off,water may be run down the drain and through system 500 without screwdrive 508 rotating (such as when no food or waste particles are beingpassed down the drain).

In some embodiments, system 500 may comprise one or more safetymechanisms configured to prevent system 500 from being turned on wheninlet 502 is not covered. For example, in some embodiments, system 500may only be turned on in accordance with detecting that a cover isplaced over inlet 502. In some embodiments, a cover may be configured toengage the system through mechanical attachment (e.g., latches, hooks,screws), magnetic attachment, suction attachment, or through any othersuitable engagement or attachment mechanism or technique. In someembodiments, a user may place a cover over and/or into inlet 502 (or ina drain to which inlet 502 is attached), and system 500 may detect thatthe cover is present. In some embodiments, a user may activate a switchor input another command when a cover is inserted into/over inlet 502,and system 500 may turn on. In some embodiments, a user may execute apress or a turn (e.g., a quarter-turn) on the cover when the cover isinserted into/over inlet 502, and this action may itself activate one ormore physical sensors or buttons and cause system 500 to turn on. Byrequiring the presence of a cover in order to turn on, system 500 may bemade safer by mitigating the risk that a hand or arm is injured by screwdrive 508.

As shown in FIG. 5, system 500 may further comprise tube cap 522, whichmay be any cap or seal or end portion located at the distal end of tube510 and configured to seal the end of tube 510 shut and preventfood/waste and/or water from spilling out of the end of tube 510. Insome embodiments, cap 522 may be secured to tube 510 by any suitableattachment mechanism, including threading, a quarter-tum mechanism, oneor more latches, a press-fit seal, and/or any other suitable attachmentmechanism. In some embodiments, system 500 may be configured such thatcap 522 may be removed in order to facilitate removal of screw drive508. In some embodiments, cap 522 may be configured to be removable andreplaceable on system 500, and may be held in place in system 500 by oneor more threaded connections, cams, latches, clips, or the like. In someembodiments, cap 522 may be provided with one or more sensors (e.g.,Hall effect sensors, optical sensors, IR sensors, or the like)configured to detect its position and/or the position of one or moreassociated attachment mechanisms, such that system 800 may be preventedfrom being turned on if cap 522 is not secured in place (and willdeactivate if cap 522 becomes unsecured and/or is removed duringoperation).

After removing cap 522, a user may be able to manually pull screw drive508 out of tube 510 through the open end exposed by the removal of cap522. In some embodiments, screw drive 508 may be configured such that itmay be able to be washed after removal, or such that it may be washed ina dishwasher after removal. In some embodiments, screw drive 508 may beconfigured such that manually pulling it out of tube 510 may cause it todecouple from motor 516 (e.g., by sliding out of engagement with an axisdrive element of the motor), and such that manually pushing it into tube510 may cause it to couple to motor 516 (e.g., by sliding intoengagement with an axis drive element of the motor). In someembodiments, screw drive 508 may be configured to slide onto and off ofa drive element of the motor and/or to snap into and out of attachmentwith motor 516.

In some embodiments, system 500 may be fully or partially enclosed (withthe exception of the inlets and outlets discussed herein, such thatfood/waste, water, moisture, and odors may be prevented from escapingthe interior of system 500.

System 500 may be configured to be disposed underneath a sink such asinside a cabinet enclosure beneath a kitchen sink. In some embodiments,system 500 may be configured such that it may fit inside an enclosurebeneath a sink. In some embodiments, system 500 may be configured suchthat, when attached to the underside of a sink, collection bin may facethe opening of an under-sink enclosure, such as by facing the inside ofa cabinet opening to the under-sink enclosure. Conveyor 506 may thusmove food/waste particles forward toward a cabinet door, and collectionbin 518 may be disposed close to the back side of the cabinet door forconvenient and easy access by a user. Positioning system 500 such thatmotor 516 is disposed near the back of an under-sink enclosure mayadditionally reduce noise experienced by

In some embodiments, including those with removable components,connections between fluid-carrying components may be made with gaskets,press-in tube, o-rings, and/or retaining latches; this may prevent fluidin the system from pushing connections apart from one another. In someembodiments, electrical connections between components may be made usingreceptacles similar to those in rechargeable batteries for power tools.

FIG. 6 shows a garbage separator system 600, in accordance with someembodiments, which may include inlet 602, water outlet 604, screwconveyor 606, screw drive 608, tube 610, drainage holes 612, returnmanifold 614, motor 616, waste bin 618, and housing 620. Garbageseparator system 600 and its components may share some or allcharacteristics in common with other garbage separator systems discussedherein, including garbage separator system 500 and its correspondingcomponents as discussed above with reference to FIG. 5.

In some embodiments, system 600 may differ from system 500 in that screwconveyor 606 may be disposed at an upward angle, such that theintersection point with the path below opening 602 may be lower than thedistal end of tube 610 where food/waste particles may be dropped towardwaste bin 618. Accordingly, as food/waste particles and/or water areconveyed along conveyor 606, they may be moved horizontally as well asupward with respect to gravity. By angling conveyor 606 upward, watermay be prevented from running along the bottom of tube 610 toward andinto basin 618; instead, gravity may ensure that water cannot easily runtoward the distal end of screw conveyor 606, and water may thus becaused to more effectively drain through holes 612 in the bottom and/orsides of tube 610, in some embodiments, the angle of tube 610 may bemore than 5 degrees, 9 degrees, 12 degrees, 17 degrees, 21 degrees, 25degrees, 29 degrees, 33 degrees, 37 degrees, 41 degrees, 45 degrees, or49 degrees from parallel with the ground. In some embodiments, the angleof tube 610 may be less than 5 degrees, 9 degrees, 12 degrees, 17degrees, 21 degrees, 25 degrees, 29 degrees, 33 degrees, 37 degrees, 41degrees, 45 degrees, or 49 degrees from parallel with the ground.

In some embodiments, angling screw conveyor 606 upward may also conservespace in an area beneath a sink by allowing waste bin 618 to be locatedin a more elevated position; that is, by taking advantage of the spacethat would otherwise be above screw conveyor 606, waste bin 618 may bepositioned in a more elevated position, and space below system 600 maybe made available for under-sink storage, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, system 500 may further comprise handle 624 (whichmay in some embodiments be any suitable release mechanism alternately orin addition to a handle). In some embodiments, handle 624 may beconfigured to serve as a mechanism for gripping one or more componentsof system 600 and also as a mechanism for securing and/or releasing oneor more removable components of system 600 to and from the rest ofsystem 600.

In some embodiments, one or more handle mechanisms of a garbageseparator system, such as handle 624, may be used in inserting,securing, un-securing, and/or removing from system 600 waste bin 618and/or any associated components such as a housing component and/or acap component. For example, handle 624 may be configured such that itmay be used by a user to pull a component away from the system and tothe component toward the system. Handle 624 may further be configuredsuch that it may have one or more integrated latch/cam mechanismsconfigured to apply force to the component when the integrated latch/cammechanism is forced into the locked position; this force may press thecomponent toward the system in order to secure it tightly into theinstalled/inserted position.

In some embodiments, handle 624 may be configured to have integratedupper and lower handle portions, and a user may be able to move theupper and lower portions of handle 624 apart from one another to placethe handle into an unlocked position, and force the upper and lowerportions of handle 624 toward one another to place handle 624 into alocked position. In some embodiments, handle 624 may have only onehandle portion (rather than having an upper and lower portion), and thatsingle handle portion may be lifted upward or downward (or side to side)about a rotational axis to move in/out of a locked position. In someembodiments, a handle and integrated latching mechanism may allow a userto easily attach and detach garbage separator components by hand andwithout the use of tools.

FIG. 7 shows a cutaway view of garbage separator system 700, inaccordance with some embodiments, which may include inlet 702, tube 710for retaining a screw drive (not shown) as part of a screw conveyor,drainage holes 712, waste bin 718, and cap 722. Garbage separator system700 and its components may share some or all characteristics in commonwith other garbage separator systems discussed herein, including garbageseparator systems 500 and 600, and their corresponding components, asdiscussed above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 shows a garbage separator system 800, in accordance with someembodiments, which may include inlet 802, water outlet 804, tube 810 forretaining a screw drive (not shown) as part of a screw conveyor,drainage holes 812. return manifold 814, waste bin 818, bin liner 819,cap 722, and movable seal 826. Garbage separator system 800 and itscomponents may share some or all characteristics in common with othergarbage separator systems discussed herein, including garbage separatorsystems 500, 600, and 700, and their corresponding components, asdiscussed above with reference to FIGS. 5-7.

In some embodiments, system 800 may differ from systems 500, 600, and/or700 in that system 800 may comprise a liner (e.g., bin liner 819)configured to facilitate removal of waste from a collection bin (e.g.,bin 818), and in that system 800 may comprise a movable seal (e.g., seal826) configured to seal odors inside a collection bin and/or to preventwater from entering the collection bin. These features are discussedbelow in greater detail.

System 800 may comprise liner 819, which may be any bag, liner,removable interior container, or the like configured to be disposedinside bin 818 and to collect waste deposited into bin 818. Use of aliner such as liner 819 may prevent waste from touching and/or adheringto the inner walls of bin 818, and may allowing a user to dispose of thewaste in bin 818 simply manually remove liner 919, dispose of liner 819,and replace it with a new liner. This may ease the process of disposingwaste by eliminating the need to remove or manipulate bin 818 entirely,and may also prevent or reduce the need to wash bin 818 by preventingbin 818 from becoming soiled by waste particles over time. As shown inFIG. 8, bin 818 may include one or more ridges, hooks, or lips forsecuring liner 819.

System 800 may comprise movable seal 826, which may be any physicalcomponent configured to provide a movable barrier between bin 818 andtube 810. In some embodiments, seal 826 may be a semi-cylindrical flapconfigured to fit around the end portion of the outside bottom surfaceof tube 810, and to provide an airtight and/or watertight seal betweenthe interior of bin 818 and the interior of tube 810. In someembodiments, seal 826 may comprise a rubber gasket or other flexibleand/or compressible component configured to effectively form an airtightand/or watertight seal when pressed against tube 810.

In some embodiments, seal 826 may be configured to be selectably movablesuch that passage of waste between tube 810 and bin 818 may bepermitted. In some embodiments, seal 826 may be disposed on one or morehinges (as shown), slide tracks, rollers, movable arms, or the like. Insome embodiments, movement of seal 826 between an open position and aclosed position (both positions are shown in FIG. 8) may be automatedand controlled by one or more motors and/or springs. In someembodiments, seal 826 may be automatically closed when garbage separatorsystem 800 is not in use, and may be automatically opened when garbageseparator system 800 is in use. In some embodiments, seal 826 may beprovided with one or more sensors (e.g., Hall effect sensors, opticalsensors, IR sensors, or the like) configured to detect its position,such that system 800 may be prevented from being turned on if seal 826is not in the opened position.

In some embodiments, in addition to sealing odors inside waste bin 818and preventing those odors from entering the area above the sink, seal826 may also serve to seal water inside tube 810 during a self-cleaningoperation of system 800, thereby preventing water sprayed inside tube810 during a self-cleaning mode from entering waste bin 818.

In some embodiments, a garbage separator may be configured to operate invarious modes. For example, a garbage separator may be configured tooperate alternately in an on mode, an off mode, and a self-cleaningtriode. In on mode, the separator may cause one or more rotatableelements (e.g., a screw drive and/or a separator cup) to rotate in orderto move waste particles toward a waste bin. In off mode, the separatormay cause the one or more rotatable elements to cease rotating. Inself-cleaning mode, the separator may cause water and/or cleaning agentto be sprayed onto one or more components of the garbage separatorsystem in order to remove waste particles, grime, and other contaminantsfrom surfaces of the system.

As discussed above with reference to self-cleaning functions of garbageseparators, a garbage separator in a self-cleaning mode may perform oneor more self-cleaning operations, such as by spraying pressurized waterand/or cleaning agent onto one or more surfaces of the garbage separatorin order to remove waste particles and other contaminants and clean thesurface.

In some screw-conveyor-style garbage separator systems, one or morenozzles may be provided on interior side walls or a screw tube, such asnozzles being provided in the holes shown in the side of screw tube 810in system 800 in FIG. 8. Nozzles for self-cleaning may be connected toone or more water sources (e.g., a main water line of the plumbingsystem associated with the sink) and/or to one or more sources ofcleaning fluid or agent. In some embodiments, nozzles for self-cleaningmay be configured to deliver water at sufficient pressure for effectiveself-cleaning of the system using water pressure of the main water lineof the associated sink, such that a dedicated water pump for theself-cleaning functionality is not required. In some embodiments, theone or more nozzles may be angled inside the screw tube toward thedrainage holes, such that water flows effectively toward the drainageholes during self-cleaning. In some embodiments, the one or more nozzlesmay be pointed toward and/or angled about perpendicularly with respectto the primary axis of a screw drive of the system, e.g., so as todirect the spray of water straight toward the screw drive. In someembodiments, the one or more nozzles may be pointed toward one or moreof the flutes/blades of the screw drive, so as to direct the spray ofwater towards the flutes/blades of the screw drive.

In some embodiments, the system may be configured such that a rotatableelement of the system (e.g., a separator cup and/or screw drive) isrotated during self-cleaning mode. This may improve the effectiveness ofself-cleaning by causing allowing more surfaces to be impacted by waterand/or cleaning agent spray at different angles.

In some embodiments, movement of a seal component (e.g., seal 826 insystem 800 in FIG. 8) may be controlled in accordance with a mode of thesystem. For example, in some embodiments, a seal blocking access to acollection bin may be caused to automatically open when the system is inan on mode, and may be caused to automatically close (e.g., to preventleaking of odors) when the system is in an off mode. In someembodiments, a seal may he caused to automatically close when a systemis in a self-cleaning mode, for example in order to prevent water fromentering a collection during a self-cleaning mode.

In some embodiments, modes of a system may be manually selected by auser, such as by controlling one or more switches or other input devicesto cause the system to turn on and/or off and/or to operate in a desiredmode. In some embodiments, operation of the system in various modes maybe automated. For example, one or more sensors may detect the presenceof waste particles and/or water in the drain of the sink and mayautomatically activate the system into an on mode. In some embodiments,one or more sensors may detect the absence of waste particles and/orwater in the drain of the sink and may automatically deactivate thesystem into an off mode. In some embodiments, a self-cleaning mode maybe configured to automatically run at predefined intervals, at one ormore predefined times, and/or automatically following operation of thesystem an on mode. In some embodiments, automatically running aself-cleaning mode after operation of the system in an on mode mayimprove the effectiveness of self-cleaning operations, becausecontaminants may be removed by the self-cleaning operation before dryingand durably adhering to surfaces of the system.

In some embodiments, a garbage separator system may comprise one or moresensors to detect when a waste bin should be emptied. For example, agarbage separator system may include a sensor to detect when the wastebin is full or nearly full. In some embodiments, a sensor configured todetect when the bin should be emptied may comprise a level sensorconfigured to detect a level of waste inside the bin, a weight sensorconfigured to detect a weight of waste inside the bin, an opticalsensor, an IR sensor, and/or any other suitable sensor configured todetect the presence of waste (e.g., a predetermined threshold amount ofwaste) inside the bin. The system may further comprise one or morespeakers configured to generate an audible indicator that the bin shouldbe emptied, one or more display or light elements configured to generatea visual indicator that the bin should be emptied, and/or one or morewireless communication devices configured to transmit an electronicsignal comprising an indicator that the bin should be emptied.

In some embodiments, system components may be fabricated from metalmaterials, plastic materials, ceramic materials, composite materials,organic materials, or any combination thereof. The foregoingdescription, for the purpose of explanation, has been described withreference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussionsabove are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possiblein view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen anddescribed in order to best explain the principles of the techniques andtheir practical applications. Others skilled in the art are therebyenabled to best utilize the techniques and various embodiments withvarious modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Although the disclosure and examples have been fully described withreference to the accompanying figures, it is to be noted that variouschanges and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as beingincluded within the scope of the disclosure and examples as defined bythe claims. Finally, the entire disclosure of any pate and publicationsreferred to in this application are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

1. A garbage separator system for separating waste particles from waterin a drain of a sink, comprising: a screw conveyor configured to bemounted beneath the drain of a sink, the screw conveyor comprising: ascrew drive configured to rotate to convey waste particles laterallyaway from the drain of the sink; a tube encasing the screw drive,wherein the tube comprises a plurality of drainage holes configured toallow water to drain out of the screw conveyor and to retain wasteparticles inside the screw conveyor; and a removable waste binconfigured to receive waste particles conveyed by the screw conveyor. 2.The garbage separator system of claim 1, wherein the screw drive of thescrew conveyor is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thatintersects a central axis of the drain of the sink.
 3. The garbageseparator system of claim 2, wherein the axis of rotation isperpendicular to the axis of the drain of the sink.
 4. The garbageseparator system of claim 2, wherein the axis of rotation forms an acuteupward angle with the axis of the drain of the sink.
 5. The garbageseparator system of claim 1, wherein the screw conveyor comprises aproximal portion beneath the sink drain and a distal portion above theremovable waste bin.
 6. The garbage separator system of claim 5, whereinthe tube comprises a waste opening at the distal portion of the screwconveyor above the removable waste bin.
 7. The garbage separator systemof claim 1, wherein: the screw conveyor comprises a middle portionbetween the proximal portion and the distal portion; and some or all ofthe plurality of drainage holes in the tube are located at the middleportion.
 8. The garbage separator system of claim 1, further comprisinga return manifold configured to catch water draining from some or all ofthe plurality of drainage holes.
 9. The garbage separator system ofclaim 8, wherein the return manifold is configured to be coupled to adrainage pipe such that the water caught by the return manifold drainsinto the drainage pipe.
 10. The garbage separator system of claim 1,further comprising a housing defining an opening above the screwconveyor configured to be mounted below the dram of the sink.
 11. Thegarbage separator of claim 10, wherein the housing defines an openingconfigured to allow the removable waste bin to slide into and out of thehousing.
 12. The garbage separator of claim 10, wherein the housing isconfigured to direct falling waste particles toward the waste bin. 13.The garbage separator of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises a removableend portion configured to be removed to allow removal of the screw drivefrom the screw conveyor.
 14. The garbage separator of claim 1, whereinthe garbage separator is configured to be installed in an enclosurebeneath a sink.
 15. The garbage separator of claim 14, wherein thegarbage separator is configured such that, when installed, the removablewaste bin faces in a direction toward an area in front of the sink, andis removable by sliding in the direction toward the area front of thesink.
 16. The garbage separator of claim 1, further comprising a movableseal configured to move between an open position in which wasteparticles may pass through an opening between the tube and the waste binand a closed position in which the opening is sealed.